New K9 search and rescue team based in Pine Belt

PINE BELT, MS (WDAM) - A new, volunteer K9 search and rescue team is based in the Pine Belt.

The Cajun Coast Search and Rescue Team, of West Monroe, Louisiana, has started a Mississippi Division in the Hattiesburg area.

That organization is a non-profit group that has been conducting search and rescue operations for 25 years.

It’s also worked many incidents in Mississippi.

Saturday, the organization hosted its first training event at River Park in Petal.

“We just came out to Mississippi this weekend to promote Cajun Coast and get some of the guys from other areas to come in and train with us today and get to know each other and let the communities and the state know that we’re out here and available to help them,” said Toney Wade, commander of Cajun Coast Search and Rescue.

“This is our first training event in Mississippi, so a lot of our guys from Louisiana came in to kind of show off to the Mississippi people that want to be involved," said James Harrington, Mississippi Division commander for Cajun Coast Search and Rescue.